The Genius Assassin Who Does It All Himself - Chapter 252



Only Krnovel

Episode 252: The Thousand-Year-Old Man (4)

* * *

The battle that was a test ended there.

Even without going to the point of a do-or-die battle, there was enough fighting to gauge and judge skill.

It was also the old man who declared the suspension of the test, that is, the end. Kang-hoo did not express any opinion.

“You’re quite talented. I never thought there would be so many options to respond to a given situation.”

“Thank you for teaching me.”

“Teaching is freezing to death! I am like a madman, trying to twist my wrists. Is this teaching?”

“You used your feet. It was an unexpected situation that wasn’t in the picture I had in mind.”

“Is that also a teaching?”

“Yes. Even if you say that wasn’t your intention, it was a very valuable lesson for me.”

“I thought he was just good at skills, but he’s actually quite good at talking. Anyway, I like him quite a bit.”

“thank you.”

Kang-hoo bowed his head politely.

A thousand-year-old man is not a person who is stingy with praise. When he does praise, he does it with certainty.

Of course, the problem is that the probability of receiving that compliment is low.

In any case, it seemed that his response was quite satisfactory by his standards.

“He has sealed his dark age skills, and he has skills specialized for defense. He also knows how to use a spear, and he has items that enhance his evil power. What a terrible hybrid.”

“I don’t know if I should say this, but… … .”

“Normally I would tell you not to say something like that, but say it this once.”

“I don’t think the skill you showed me fits the mold of an assassin exactly.”

What Kang-hoo pointed out is that the skill composition of the Thousand-Year-Old Man has the characteristic of being an ‘all-rounder’ like himself.

If you think about pure assassin traits, it is common to have almost no long-range control skills.

It’s not that assassins can’t use non-sword techniques like the Lightning Sword, but they can’t be turned into skills.

It’s just a skill where you throw a dagger with all your might. It’s not a skill that deals a whole other level of damage.

However, the Thousand-Year-Old Man broke the mold of an assassin by using a magic dagger.

Although it was disguised as a dagger, it was actually nothing more than a demonstration of a wizard’s abilities.

Moreover, transforming into smoke form should be considered a third ability, different from hiding or illusion.

“Yes. That’s not wrong. Well then. If I try to approach you now, how will you react?”

“I will use this.”

【Air blast】

Pfft!

Kang-hoo fired a qi gun at the area in front of him, about a step away from the Thousand-Year-Old Man.

The thousand-year-old old man burst into laughter after seeing the skill of the airborne spirit that Kang-hoo had thrown.

I had a hope, and it was as expected.

“A fake assassin disguised as an assassin. That is your true nature. And that is my true nature.”

“I deeply sympathize.”

“Really? Do you think so too?”

“Yes. Since I learned the miscellaneous skills like the ki-gong-po that I just showed you, I’ve been thinking like that even more.”

“What level is it?”

“It’s 255.”

“255… … . There’s exactly a 500 difference between us.”

Kang-hoo’s prediction earlier turned out to be correct.

I calculated the skill evasion rate by looking at the effect of the Patience Constellation and calculated it backwards, and there was no error.

Meanwhile, Kang-hoo scanned the constellation information of the Thousand-Year-Old Man.

Needless to say, contracts have been made with numerous constellations.

There are 3 pages of constellations, with a maximum of 10 displayed per page, so there are at least 21.

The thousand-year-old man continued speaking.

“If a rookie who isn’t even level 300 is like this, then the seedlings are definitely good. Just follow me for now. The test is over.”

“Did you pass?”

“What, should I make you a necklace and wear it here?”

“No, thank you.”

“Come next to me. Let’s walk together.”

The murderous spirit that had been present until just now had completely disappeared from the appearance of the thousand-year-old man, who was waving his hand naturally.

I felt like a grandson following in his grandfather’s footsteps.

Cheon-sal-no-su is over seventy years old and Kang-hu is approaching thirty, so the age difference is appropriate.

I walked quietly with him.

The appearance of the thousand-year-old man that Kang-hoo observed from the side was the very image of constant training and effort.

Except for the face that could not avoid the passage of time, the body was as good as Kang-hoo’s.

When I met Kim Shin-ryung, I was amazed at her body management that surpassed her age, but the thousand-year-old man did even better.

If you can take a picture and correct wrinkles, you can say you are an active athlete.

While Kang-hoo was admiring the thousand-year-old tree, he was also carefully observing Kang-hoo’s characteristics.

‘You’re quite cautious. Even though I’m walking right next to you, you still don’t let go of your guard.’

The thousand-year-old man was surprised to see Kang-hoo ready to go into battle at any time.

This is because he also maintained a similar posture to Kang-hoo.

Of course, there is no way that an uninvited guest would suddenly appear in K’s jurisdiction. The same goes for monsters.

However, even if the probability is 0%, he is a thousand-year-old veteran who believes that not letting down his guard is the basic skill of an assassin.

This was because his motto was that an assassin should be able to draw his weapon immediately when needed, and that it should be a one-hit kill.

Kang-hoo’s faithfulness to the basics was in line with the thoughts of the thousand-year-old master who always emphasized this.

It was not unnatural, as if it had been natural from the beginning, to say that it was simply for the sake of looking good.

This means that not only today, but at any moment in the past, it has always maintained this appearance. Without any gaps.

‘How on earth did they increase their skills? They aren’t differentiated by trait, and they play separately.’

The thousand-year-old man was curious about that.

If you think back to all the skills that Kang-hoo showed in the test just now, there were no common keywords.

Let’s discuss everything separately.

It is true that it is a skill handled by one hunter, but there is no quality that can be integrated into one.

This usually happens when you learn a skill book to increase your skills.

However, the skill of building a defensive wall was definitely not a skill specialized for assassins.

So, did you learn skills from other professions?

There should be a penalty for that, but the efficiency was too good.

‘… … Let’s cover our thoughts.’

As curiosity began to consume his thoughts, the thousand-year-old man suppressed his mind so that it would not get excited.

It’s true that I’ve become more and more curious about Kang-hoo, but I don’t want to show it to him.

If I showed that kind of attitude from the beginning, I would feel like I was losing. But I still wanted to maintain my own dignity(?).

* * *

Around that time.

“I don’t think that old man got so angry that he ended it… … .”

K was waiting anxiously in front of the villa for the two people who had not yet arrived.

The worst case scenario that K could think of was that Kang-hoo’s skills were not up to his standards and he would get beaten up.

Since he’s an old man(?) who sometimes gets angry whenever he sees a pathetic assassin, I was worried about the slight possibility.

The thousand-year-old man’s theory was simple.

A useless assassin is ripe for death at any time, so I will finish him off with my own hands… … It was the same miraculous logic.

“oh!”

Fortunately, my worries were immediately allayed.

Because Kang-hoo and Cheon-sal-no-su appeared together.

Although there were traces of dirt here and there on their bodies, both of them appeared to be in good condition.

And the gaze of the thousand-year-old man looking at Kang-hoo was quite gentle. It means that he liked the picky man.

In fact, K had believed in Kang-hoo from the beginning.

It’s like when you caught the queen of the group all by yourself before, and you’ve always shown a performance that exceeds expectations.

K ran towards the two people in one go, shook their hands happily, and asked the thousand-year-old man.

“How was it, brother?”

“It looks like a pretty useful guy. Of course, there are still a lot of areas that need to be polished.”

Although he said it with a nuance that seemed to reserve judgment, K knew full well that it was a compliment.

If we translate his thoughts accurately, it says that he is quite capable and has a lot to teach.

K, who had decades of experience with the different inner and outer speaking styles of a thousand-year-old man, was able to be confident.

K asked Kang-hoo too.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Yes. I received good teachings in a short period of time. It gave me a lot to think about.”

K was able to see flexibility in Kang-hoo’s way of praising the thousand-year-old man from the beginning.

I thought he was incapable of saying flattering things, but he was very clever in giving compliments.

At that moment, the thousand-year-old man spoke to K with a secret look in his eyes.

“I’d like to talk to this guy alone. Could you please offer me a cup of tea and leave the seat?”

“Of course, brother. I’ll bring you a nice car!”

K nodded happily.

The fact that she wants to have a conversation just between the two of them means that she wants to have a more candid conversation with Kang-hoo.

As it was a sign that he liked Kang-hoo as a disciple, there was no way K would dislike this welcome sign.

Is this what a matchmaker’s happiness is like?

Although K is strictly a third party in this matter, the process of their relationship forming could not help but be welcome.

I was happy.

It seemed like someone had a solid and capable teacher, and someone else had a disciple they could envy.

* * *

After K set up the seats and quickly left.

An atmosphere was created where Kang-hoo and Cheon-sal-no-su could have a conversation just like they wanted.

Although it was the first time they had seen each other, the atmosphere was comfortable, as if they had known each other for a long time.

It was thanks to the rapport they had as assassins while taking the test earlier. It was enough conversation for the two of them.

The thousand-year-old man spoke first.

“You weren’t pushed here by that guy, by any chance?”

“It’s true that the position itself was created by Master K. However, it’s also true that it was the position I dreamed of and wanted. I just didn’t have the opportunity.”

There is nothing easier than telling the truth. Everything Kang-hoo was saying to him now was true.

If I hadn’t had a connection with K, I wouldn’t have had a connection with the thousand-year-old tree.

Kang-hoo felt that this precious link of fate was valuable.

If there had been no fate.

The only way to meet the thousand-year-old man would be to visit his base in China.

Usually, nine out of ten hunters who go looking for it die. That’s how hostile the Thousand-Year-Old Man is to outsiders.

Kang-hoo added.

“People in the world gossip about how you were lucky to get to where you are now, or that you got there by sacrificing other people’s blood.”

“Ahem.”

“I think differently. I think it’s a tower built with effort from start to finish.”

“What do you know?”

“If it was a skill built up through luck and not hard work, then instead of sacrificing someone’s blood… … you would have become someone’s sacrifice.”

“Is it an effort to live?”

“If you try to interpret it the other way around, then yes.”

“Then, if I die, all the efforts and challenges I’ve made so far will be just luck?”

Kang-hoo smiled in an incomprehensible way at the slightly sharp question from the thousand-year-old man.